Monday, July 4, 2011

freedom from the g-tube on the horizon?

   So uh, hi.

   For those of you who are new HP readers and wondering who the heck I am, I am MFA Mama, and I actually write for Hopeful Parents (the fourth is my day to post). Not that you'd know it from my track record (here is where I was going to look it up and provide links, but it's too shameful...).

   Generally if I'm hiding from this website things are either really, really bad at my house or...uh, really, really bad. My own little corner of the innernet is kind of small and intimate, and offers a little more privacy if I don't have anything to say except venting.

   I've done a lot of online venting the past few months. They've sucked. We're poor. Everything from our minivan to our marriage is showing the wear and tear of my working third-shift and we're still barely making the big bills (which is actually a great improvement). What I haven't done is write about the single biggest good, because honestly? I'm a little bit superstitious about putting it out there. But I mentioned it sort of parenthetically on my blog a few days ago and the sky hasn't fallen, and the fourth IS my day here, so, here goes:

   Little Child is eating. Like, by mouth. Like, nearly full meals of normal food. And while he still isn't taking in enough calories that way to facilitate continued growth (we don't want to set him back nutritionally as he's very tiny for his age and just now FINALLY not anemic and all that good stuff) or enough liquids to stay fully hydrated in this wretched summer heat, he's getting closer every day. For the first time in, oh, five YEARS.

   This is huge, and while America's birthday IS a big hairy deal, honestly in my head and my household? Little Child's potential freedom from the g-tube is what I'm celebrating most this year.

   How are all of YOU?

 

MFA Mama keeps a personal blog, and is trying to be better about remember her days to post here, too. She's also on the Twitter.

2 comments:

  1. Hi MFA Mama!
    I just wanted to say I'm so happy for you and your little one. I thought I would also send you words of encouragement by telling you that our little girl was fed via NG-tube for the first couple of years of her life. The medical team and most therapists fought hard for us to put in a G-tube, but we always believed in her and her ability to development this body function that is eating. Well 5 years later and she is free of all tubes, and although we too struggled with the low calorie intake, she eats really well and has now exceeded all expectations. She is actually above the 50 percentile on the growth chart for her age and height . There is always hope and I encourage you to continue working and fighting with your little one. They are so worth it!

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  2. Congratulations on your little one's success. That is great!

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